Cinnamon Rolls (Pets de Soeur)

Pets de soeur, which translates charmingly to “nun’s farts” in French, are a beloved Québécois treat that’s been passed down through generations of French-Canadian kitchens.

Forget yeasted dough and long rise times. These cinnamon rolls start with a simple lard-and-flour pastry, rolled thin, slathered with soft butter, packed with a thick layer of brown sugar and cinnamon, then rolled up tight and sliced into spirals.

The rounds bake in a casserole dish with water in the bottom, which steams the undersides soft while the tops turn golden and caramelized.

They’re rustic, sweet, and ready in about an hour.

Kitchen Tips

• Roll the dough thicker than pie crust but thinner than biscuit dough. About ¼ inch gives you spirals that hold their shape without being too heavy.
• Spread the brown sugar in a generous ¼-inch layer. Don’t be shy; the sugar melts into a syrupy filling during baking.
• The water in the casserole dish is essential. It creates steam that keeps the bottoms tender instead of dry and tough.

Variations

• Swap the brown sugar and cinnamon filling for cranberry jam, as is traditional in some Québécois families.